


Donnez-Moi Votre Amour

by PagetPaulson



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-16
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-19 15:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1474996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PagetPaulson/pseuds/PagetPaulson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily enlists in Hotch's help to find her birth mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Thirty-four years, nine months and seven days and counting. The time she had gone without knowing the woman who had given her up all those years ago. She beat herself up about not knowing the exact minutes, even seconds, that she was away from her biological mother's arms, left to walk alone in the cold, lonely world.

Emily slowly shook her head, wiping her tears away as she stood from her desk. She needed help, and if she wanted to do this, she wanted to do it the right way. The brunette quickly made her way up the catwalk and quickly knocked on the familiar door.

"Come in."

The ivory woman slowly made her way inside, biting her lip as she closed the door behind her. "Sir?"

Hotch looked up from his file. "Emily hi." His brows furrowed when she didn't move away from his office door, and he then he noticed the tear tracks down her face. "Emily?"

The brunette let out a shaky sigh. "I'm ok, just give me a minute."

The Unit Chief stood from his seat and walked swiftly to his subordinate, placing a hand on her shaking arm. "Emily what's the matter?" He led her over to the chairs at his desk and sat them down. "Just calm down and talk to me, ok?"

Emily gave a slow nod of the head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Maybe I shouldn't have come up here."

Hotch was quick to sit the brunette back down when she tried to stand for her seat, and he gave a shake of the head. "Sit down. Tell me what's wrong."

The younger woman felt her breath begin to quicken once again as the thoughts all came flooding back to her. "My mother called me."

"And what happened, Emily?"

Emily gave a disbelieved shake of the head, her eyes looking out passed her boss' head and towards the back wall. "She told me that I'm adopted."

Hotch felt his jaw almost drop. "I'm sorry?"

"She called me up to tell me that I'm adopted, Hotch." She let out a breath. "You know how she's been sick, and we were thinking it was all getting better. But now they said they think the cancer came back, and she doesn't think she's going to make it so she said she had to finally 'get it off of her chest'." Emily's eyes finally connected once again with her boss'. "I don't know how to process all of this."

Hotch moved his hand from her arm to her lap, holding her shaking hand in his. "You're hyperventilating, Emily. You need to try to breathe."

Emily let out a cry. "This isn't fair! My mom is dying and then there's this woman who is apparently my real mom and I didn't even know about her until now."

The older man brought their chairs closer together and gently pulled his subordinate into a comforting hug, letting her shaking body do its best to relax into his. "I know it's not fair, I know."

Emily forced herself to take in a deep breath. "Hotch I need your help." She looked up to her friend with watering eyes. "I need to find her, and I need your help."

Hotch frowned. "You want to find your birth mother?"

The brunette immediately nodded her head. "I need to Hotch, I need to find her. She's my mother. What if she's just like me? What if the reason why I could never have that connection with my mother is because my mother really wasn't my other all along?"

Hotch gave a small shake of the head. "Ok that was confusing."

Emily glared, giving a small push to her boss' chest. "Hotch I really want to meet her."

"I would love to help you Emily, but it's going to be hard."

The crying woman finally felt herself smile, holding up a finger. "And that's why we have Penelope Garcia on our side." She wiped the tips of her fingers under her reddened eyes, nodding to herself. "I want to find her, Hotch."

Hotch looked to the younger brunette with a compassionate gaze, feeling his heart break for this woman that he called his friend. "Of course I'll help you Emily. Where do we start?"


	2. Chapter 2

Emily glanced down to the paper in hand, her eyes widening. "Her name is Hope?"

The bubbly technical analyst smiled up to her best friend. "Isn't it pretty? I think it's pretty. Like a rainbow! But one that doesn't have any orange in it," she frowned. "I'm not in an orange mood today."

Emily bit her lip, feeling Hotch's presence behind her. "Hope Montgomery?"

Penelope excitedly nodded her head. "You're a Montgomery! And a Prentiss!" Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked to her co-worker. "Honey you have two mommies."

The brunette felt herself give a watery laugh, looking up from the paper as she nodded her head. "Yeah. Two moms, maybe a dad," she shrugged. "Maybe three moms, I don't know."

Hotch put a comforting hand to the small of her back. "Emily? How do you feel?"

Emily gave the smallest of laughs as she glanced up to the older man, sniffling at the look in his eyes. "I really don't know."

The blond turned back around in her chair, her fingers immediately typing away. "There is something bad here though, Emmy. There are over thirty-seven thousand Hope Montgomery's in the world and over five hundred that gave a child up for adoption."

Hotch quickly stepped forward. "Use her birth certificate to narrow it down."

Emily nodded. "And my mom told me she wasn't from Virginia or Washington D.C."

The brunette man held his friend closer to his side, doing his best to understand the anxiety she was feeling in that moment. He leaned into her and gently whispered into her ear. "We're gonna find her, Em. We're going to do our best to do exactly what you need."

Emily let her friend press a kiss to her temple, her eyes crinkling as she did her best to smile. "Thank you."

"I FOUND HER!"

Both brunettes looked to their jumping friend, looking at the lit up screen that she was screaming at. "Hope Montgomery, fifty-seven years old." Emily's eyes began to water once more. "That's my mom."

Penelope excitedly nodded her head. "She lives in London, England with her husband Martin Montgomery."

Emily's smile widened. "I have a father."

The Unit Chief rubbed his hand soothingly down his subordinate's arm, an uncharacteristic smile spreading over his features. "We found them, Em." He turned the brunette woman to face him, a frown immediately appearing on his face when he saw her eyes glaze over. "Emily?"

"I can't meet them," she breathed. "They're my parents. My real parents."

Penelope's jaw dropped. "What do you mean you can't meet them?"

Emily's head shook vigorously. "What if they gave me up because they didn't want me? If they didn't want me then there's no point in me speaking with them or actually heading off to another country to try and meet them." Her lips began to quiver as she looked up to her boss. "What if they just didn't want me?"

Hotch pulled the brunette woman to his chest, engulfing her in a tight hug, shushing her as fiercely as he could without screaming into her ear. "You know that's not true. Don't you ever think for a minute that no one would want you."

The younger woman let out a cry, letting her fingers curl in her friend's suit jacket. "But they gave me up, Hotch."

Penelope jumped up from her seat, standing awkwardly beside the hugging friends. "Honeybunch, maybe they had money problems and couldn't afford you. I'm sure they could have kept you if they could, Emmy."

Emily bit her lip. "You don't know that."

The Unit Chief roughly pulled away from the brunette woman just enough to look down into her red eyes. "Emily listen to me. We do know that they would have kept you if they could, and you know that too. You know that deep down." He gave a slow nod of the head, watching as her eyes softened on him. "No one could ever not want you."

Emily looked up to her friend with pained eyes. "Yeah?"

"Definitely sugarplum," the blond whispered.

The younger woman gave a short nod of the head before wiping away her tears. "Right. You're right." She let out a breath. "Ok sorry. Hysteria over." Her eyes quickly darted back over to the screen, her hand finding Hotch's and gripping it tight. "Do you think I look like them?" she smiled.

Penelope grinned. "I'll pull up they're pictures!" The blond took no time at all typing away once more, and in less than ten seconds, pulling up both adults drivers licenses.

The entire room grew silent.

Penelope slowly turned in her chair to look to her brunette friend, an ecstatic smile gracing her face. "You look just like her!"

The brunette's head absently nodded, her eyes smiling at the picture of the brunette woman that lit up on the screen. "Wow." Her heart immediately picked up its pace when Hotch's arm found its way around her shoulders. "My mother."


	3. Chapter 3

The Unit Chief of the BAU let out te biggest of breaths, slumping back in his desk chair as he finally let all the grief and anxiety from that day roll itself off his shoulders. One of his greatest friends had had a number of panic attacks, learning her mother's cancer could be resurfacing and her biological parents gave her up to one of the most influential people in the world.

He had been wondering the same things Emily had been. What their names were, where they lived and why they had given her up in the first place. Money problems? Sickness?

They hadn't gotten the answer to that last question, but honestly he didn't think that Emily was stable enough for that kind of information about her parents just yet.

Hotch looked up from his desk at the sound of his office door opening and he quickly nodded his friend inside. "Hey."

Emily smiled wide, closing the door behind her. "So I have news!" She excitedly moved further into the room and stood just beside the squeaky clean desk. "I was searching up flights and hotels in London, and I booked a room at The Waldorf Hilton."

The older man's eyes widened. "You've already booked a hotel?"

Emily dumbly nodded her head. "Well yeah, you know I want to meet them. They're my parents, Hotch."

"But you just found out, Emily. You don't want to give it any thought?"

The brunette's brows knit together, her eyes hardening on the older man. "Of course I gave it thought, Hotch. I gave it a lot of thought and this is what I want to do." She shook her head. "This is what I need to do."

Hotch set a hand on his friend's. "I was just thinking that you might want to wait until I can sort out your vacation time you'll be taking off."

Emily visibly relaxed. "Oh." She gave the smallest of smiles. "Right, I knew that." Her teeth nibbled lightly into her bottom lip, she kept her warming hand underneath her friend's. "So I have a question to ask you. It's kind of big."

The Unit Chief frowned. "Big?"

"Really important."

Hotch rolled his eyes amusedly at the brunette woman. "I knew what you meant, Em."

Emily gave a tiny laugh, nodding her head along with her friend. "Ok well I wanted to know if you'd come with me. To London."

The older man felt his heart stop. Why would she ask him something like this? Something so personal. "You want me to come to meet your parents?"

Emily immediately began to regret her choice, watching as the astonishment to pass over her friend's face. "I just...I can't do it alone, you know? I think I'd be a lot more comfortable if someone I trusted came with me."

"Emily..."

"I don't trust anyone as much as I trust you. Please come with me," she smiled. "Come meet my parents."


	4. Chapter 4

Emily bit her lip as the pilot announced their estimated arrival time over the speaker, and she gave a quick glance over to the older man at her side. "You doing a little better?" She did her best not to smile at the situation, her boss getting soda spilled on his pants by another passenger and then hitting his head on the overhead baggage compartment when he tried to get up to go to the bathroom and dry off.

The Unit Chief glared over to his smirking friend, holding the ice pack harder against his head. "Not funny."

"It was kind of funny."

Hotch shook his head. "I will have you know that I've been shot, many times actually, and it doesn't hurt as much as my head does now."

Emily bit her lip, smiling cautiously over to the older woman in the row beside theirs as she looked to them with wide eyes. "I'm sorry ma'am, we work in law enforcement." Once she got a small smile of reassurance from the older woman, she made a quick glance at the man beside her. "That's not funny Hotch."

The older man looked deep into the brunette's eyes. "It wasn't meant to be." He held his hand out and gently took his friend's. "I'm happy you asked me to come with you, Em."

Emily gave the slightest of smiles. "I needed my best friend." She quickly cleared her throat and looked away from the older brunette, urging the blush, of course caused by the brunette caused, on her cheeks to vanish. "Alright," she commented, "the map on the screen says that we have an hour left."

Hotch nodded in agreement, taking his hand from the younger woman to open up the file in his lap. "Just enough time."

The ivory woman's eyes widened at the offending sight before her, and she immediately reached over to snatch the case file away from the older man.

"Emily!"

The brunette glared, shaking her head. "This is a vacation, Hotch. I will not have you doing work with me here."

Hotch sighed. "Emily come on, that's not fair."

Shaking her head, Emily tried her best to think of a way to get her friend's mind off of their work. Knowing he was the definition of a workaholic, what could she do? "Hotch this is not ok." She shoved the file into her go-bag. "You're here for me, not for a case. Ok?" She looked up into her friend's brown eyes. "This trip is about my parents. Can we just keep our priorities on them?"

Hotch felt his gut twist at the look in the younger woman's eyes. Damn his affection for her. "Alright, I'm sorry." He took her hand once more. "All attention on the Montgomery's."

Emily bit her lip, staring at their intertwined hands. "The Montgomery's. I'm a Montgomery," she whispered. "It still seems so weird."

"Of course it does," he agreed. "You just found out."

Emily smiled up to the brunette man, tightening her hands around his. "I'm gonna meet my parents." Her eyes quickly widened, her gaze turning to the screen in front of her. "What if they don't like me?"

Hotch shook his head. "They're going to love you Emily."

The brunette quickly stood from her seat. "I don't look ok for this. I need to fix my hair."

Hotch grunted as the younger woman climbed over him to get out of their row. "Emily, we're not even seeing them today. And you've fixed your hair three times already," he complained. His eyes looked up into the brunette's, sitting straighter when he saw the murderous look she had put on. "Nevermind."


	5. Chapter 5

Hotch gave a large yawn as he exited his room, his fist rubbing his itching eye just as a young boy would do. The couple had been in London for two days now, preparing for Emily's visit to her biological parents house, meeting them and speaking with them for the first time in her entire life. The younger woman had been a nervous wreck, their first night at the hotel at dinner she almost had a panic attack and the waiter had to escort her out of the restaurant for air.

She had raced up to the room with Hotch not two minutes after, needing a relaxing soak in the infinity tub that was in her bathroom.

The brunette man trudged his way across the living room part of the suite and knocked gently on his friend's door, his eyes still half closed. "Em I'm up, do you want me to make you some coffee? I'm going to have a cup in a couple of minutes." He frowned when he didn't get an answer. The younger woman never slept past eight, and it was eight twelve. "Emily?"

No answer.

Hotch sighed before cracking open the door to the master bedroom in the suit, the room that she had tried to give him but he immediately refused on, and peeked his head inside. Squinting as he looked into the still dark room, his caramel eyes found the tired body of his friend still nestled under the fluffy duvet.

The Unit Chief let out a small laugh before walking inside, kneeling beside the younger woman's bed and gazing at her peaceful features. He smiled at the sight of her snuggling into the big hotel pillow and her big blanket, hating the fact that he had to wake her. "Em," he whispered, shaking her arm gently, "come on it's time to get up."

Emily groaned.

"Come on Emily, get your butt up. Today's the day."

The younger woman groaned even louder, burrowing her face into the comfy hotel pillow.

Hotch let out a dramatic sigh, standing up so he as looking down to the partially sleeping woman. "If you don't get up, I'm going to have to pull out the big guns." He smirked when he heard a tired chuckle from underneath the blanket. "Alright, I warned you." Hotch tugged the huge comforter off of his friend, grinning at the immediate gasp that came from the younger woman. Bending down, the Unit Chief slipped his arms under his friend and lifted her off of the mattress.

Emily's eyes popped open as she let out a yelp, her arms instinctively wrapping around the older man's strong neck so she wouldn't fall. "Hotch! This is not funny, I wanna go back to bed."

"Tough luck," he laughed. The father of one carried the brunette out of her bedroom and into the kitchen of their hotel suite, setting her down gently onto one of the chairs in the kitchen. "Coffee time."

Emily frowned, crossing her arms on the cool countertop. "Thank you," she growled.

Hotch grinned at his friend. "You're welcome." He reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out two mugs. "So are you ready for today?"

The younger woman immediately felt herself freeze, her mind going to the planned events for that day. "I'm going to meet them today."

Hotch nodded, sitting the mugs before his friend. He looked at her with a soft gaze, reaching out to take her chin between his fingers so she looked into his eyes. "We're going to meet them today; us, Emily. I'm not leaving your side."

Emily looked up into her friend's eyes with fear hiding behind her chocolate orbs. "I'm scared," she whispered.

The brunette man took his hand away from the ivory woman's face and caught her hand, holding it tight. "You're allowed to be scared, Em. Be scared right now, and when we get to that front door you lift your head up high." He gave the younger woman a reassuring smile. "Now come on, you get dressed and I'll make the coffee. We have to get ready."

The couple got in the cab not an hour later, Emily's hand holding tightly onto her friend's as they sat in a comfortable silence for the half hour car ride. Pulling up outside one of the few houses in Alperton, London, Hotch almost had to physically pull the ivory woman from her spot in the car. "Emily come on, we're here."

Emily's head shook vigorously. "I can't do it." Her wide eyes looked to the man she always went to for support, feeling her insides becoming cold. "I can't do it. Let's go back."

Hotch shut the cab door, letting it drive off before he looked back to his friend. "Now you're stuck here."

The younger woman glared up to the Unit Chief. "I hate you." She let him turn her towards the quaint looking house, barely registering the fact that he was moving them up the front walkway. "Do you think they're nice?"

"I bet you my entire salary they're the warmest people in the world."

Emily felt herself let out a laugh. "If you're wrong you are so owing me."

Hotch gave a short nod, almost lifting the brunette woman up the steps. "I will gladly do that."

The brunette took in a deep breath. Now or never. Her eyes flickered to the doorbell shining in the light, but she quickly turned away to look to the white front door, and she knocked.

Hotch smiled. She was getting there.

Emily looked up to her friend, her eyes wide. "That was a really bad knock," she growled. Her eyes immediately looked back to the door, her body almost shaking. "Maybe I should do it again."

"Emily," he sighed, "you knocked just fine."

"It was too soft! Maybe they couldn't hear it."

"I'm sure they could hear it."

"You don't know that," she countered.

"Excuse me?"

The brunette pair glanced back at the door, Emily's jaw dropping at the sight before her. Chocolate eyes taking in the small woman standing in the doorway, she was glad to have her best friend's arms holding her still. "Hope Montgomery?" she whispered.

The brown eyed woman grinned. "How can I help you two?"


	6. Chapter 6

Emily immediately felt her breath leave her body at the sight of the older woman, looking into those familiar midnight eyes that looked her way. Feeling her best friend's arms tight around her, she did her best to muster up all the strength she could, having one of the biggest smiles spread over her face. "You're Hope Montgomery?"

The brunette woman nodded, smiling to the younger woman who stood in her doorway. "Yes I am. Can I help you with anything, sweetheart? Are you two lost?"

Emily shook her head, taking a small step closer to the woman, taking her friend along with her. "Hi, I'm so sorry we're here unannounced." She quickly cleared her throat, sticking her hand out to the brunette. "My name is Emily Prentiss."

Hope gently took the ivory woman's hand in hers, their eyes connecting as she remembered that important piece of the puzzle. "Prentiss? As in Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss?"

The younger woman grinned. "The woman who raised me for thirty-four years."

Hope's eyes widened. "Thirty-four years." Her hands immediately went to cover her gaping mouth, tears stinging at her chocolate eyes. "Emily. It's you."

Emily felt a lump form in her throat. "Yeah," she whispered hoarsely, "it's me."

The older woman quickly pulled her daughter into a hug, letting out a sob into her dark brown hair as she thought back to her as a delicate little baby in her arms that day in the hospital. "Oh Emily, you're so beautiful." She pulled back to smile at the younger woman, her hands cupping her red cheeks. "I can still see that same stunning sparkle in your eye, sweetheart." Her eyes quickly turned to the gentleman that stood behind her daughter, his arms finally down beside him. "Hello there, what's your name?"

Hotch held his hand out to his friend's mother, smiling a wide smile for the older brunette. "Hello Mrs. Montgomery, my name is Aaron."

Emily nodded. "Aaron Hotchner."

The English woman ushered the couple inside, closing her home door behind them. "Come and sit down," she smiled. "How are you? How was your trip? Are you two hungry?"

The younger woman laughed lightly, shaking her head at her biological mother. "We're just fine, thank you."

Hope gave a smile. "I'll go get Martin. He'd just love to see you."

Emily's eyes immediately brightened. "He's here?"

Hope nodded excitedly, sitting both her daughter and her friend down in her living room. "He's right up the stairs in the study." Her smile widened, immediately helping Emily back up off of the couch. "You know what, why don't you come with me and surprise him?"

The brunette woman felt her jaw drop. "Um..."

Hotch stood from the couch, stepping up behind his friend and kissing her head. "You can do it, Em. I'll be right in here."

Emily hesitated before nodding her head, letting her mother take her hand and lead her up the stairs to the second floor of her home. Her teeth nibbled into her bottom lip as they approached the door at the end of the hall, and she sent a quick look to the older woman.

Hope reassuringly rubbed her free hand up and down her baby girl's back, loving the warmth of her daughter underneath her touch. "He's going to just love you." She opened up the study's door and hid Emily behind the wall to the right of the room, only peeking her head inside. "Hi there darling. How is your reading going?"

"I'm only on page seven," the white haired man chuckled. "Charlie didn't give me a bloody thing to read in English. Everything needs editing."

Emily felt tears welling in her eyes at the sound of her father's husky voice echoing off the wood paneled walls, her free hand covering her gaping mouth. His laugh was just like hers.

Hope looked to her husband with loving eyes. "Well I have a surprise for you. Do you remember that special gift we got on October twelfth, nineteen seventy-nine?"

The older man immediately looked up from his papers, slipping his glasses from his nose and setting them beside his authentic Tiffany lamp. "Of course I do, Hopsie." He set down what he was reading. "What brought this up, baby? We haven't spoken about our little baby since Christmas."

Hope excitedly nodded her head, not being able to keep the tears from her eyes. "There's a pretty big reason, Martin."

Emily took in a deep breath before she rounded the wall and stepped right in the doorway of her biological father's study, her eyes darting across the small room to find his.

Martin stood from his seat with his eyes wide, staring at the girl he and his wife had given up all those years ago. "Emily?"

The brunette gave a watery smile, doing her best to nod to the older man. "Hi." She let out a happy laugh when her father came around his desk and scooped her up into a bear hug, hearing his quiet little whispers into her ear as she hugged him back just as tight. "Hi dad," she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily let out a cry into her father's white hair, hugging him as close as she could to her body, afraid that if she were to let go he would disappear before her eyes. She leaned back when he began to rub her back and she smiled wide. "It's so nice to meet you," she laughed.

The older man felt his heart swell at the sight of his baby girl. He tightened his hold on the brunette woman and immediately pulled her back into a hug, his eyes shutting tight to relish the feeling of her slender body in his arms. "Oh honey. I can't believe you're here." He let out a chuckle as he felt her tears softly land on his neck. "Don't cry, Emily."

Emily quickly pulled away, standing back and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cry on you."

Martin laughed, cupping the rosy cheeks of his young daughter. "Don't you apologize, kiddo." He looked up and down her shaking body, his jolly smile never once leaving his face as he took in the sight of his little girl. "You look just like your mother, you know that?"

The brunette bit her lip. "I do?"

Hope immediately stepped up beside the pair and nodded. "You really do," she grinned. "Why don't we all go and sit in the living room, huh? We can't keep that beautiful man of yours waiting."

Martin's brows furrowed, his eyes darting to his wife. "There's a man?"

The youngest of them all jumped. "Aaron!" She let her parents quickly lead her back to the living room, an apologetic smile playing on her lips as she sat back down beside her friend. "I'm so sorry, I kind of forgot about you."

Hotch let out a laugh, taking the brunette's hand in his. "For now, it's not a problem," he smiled. His chestnut eyes glanced over to the doorway and he stood from the couch, holding his hand out to the older gentleman. "It's so good to meet you, Mr. Montgomery. My name is Aaron Hotchner."

Martin smiled as he watched the younger man sit back down on his couch, his hand immediately picking his daughter's back up.

The older of the two women stood beside her husband, grinning at the couple in her living room. "Emily's husband."

Emily felt her eyes bug out of her head, a nervous laugh escaping her as she watched her parents sit themselves on the loveseat across from them. "No no, that's not it. Aaron is my best friend," she smiled.

Hope bit her lip as her fingers tangled with her husband's, her eyes raking over the two younger adults that sat just an inch too close. Denial, the brunette woman thought with a grin. "Honey it is so great to see you," she gushed. "What made you come all the way out here? Just for us?"

Emily stared into her mother's dark eyes, hearing the thick English accent flowing through the air. "Just for you? You make it sound so miniscule." She shook her head, looking down at her hands. "My mother, Elizabeth, she's sick."

Martin felt his heart break for the ivory woman before him. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry."

The FBI agent quickly shook her head. "No don't be, it's not your fault." She took a deep breath, feeling her friend's free hand wrapping around her waist. "She had a brain tumor that had cancer, and we thought she had finally gotten rid of it but the doctors think it's come back. When she realized that she might actually not be able to fight it this time, she told me she had some things to get off of her chest." Emily's eyes looked back up from her hands, catching her mother's eyes from across the room. "You two."

Hope bit her quivering lip, her head quickly shaking. "I am so sorry about your mother, Emily."

"Thank you," she whispered.

Hotch held his friend close, looking to the older couple across from them with a compassionate gaze. "I don't know if she has the strength to get this out, so I'll do it for her." He pressed a loving kiss to her dark hair. "We spent a lot of time in the past week or two to try and find you two, and get a flight out here and make arrangements because she felt that she needed to see you. One of the things that hasn't left her mind is the question of why you gave her up in the first place."

Emily gave a slow nod of affirmation. "Why did you give me up?"

The older woman had her heart break in two, hating the tears in her daughter's eyes. "Oh honey don't cry, please. We didn't want to give you away, we really didn't."

Martin shook his head. "We just didn't have the money."

Before the younger woman could have the chance to respond, Hope opened her mouth once again. "Your father had lost his job, and we had to take out loans from the bank." She let out a tiny gasp. "We were already so swallowed in debt, we didn't have the finances for you, honey."

Emily looked into the older brunette's watering eyes. "I understand."

Martin sat straighter, looking to his daughter with a smile on his face. "You know baby, you have an older brother. He was the one that fought so hard for you not to go into foster care."

Emily's eyes immediately lit up, surprise written all over her features. "A brother?"

"His name is Alden, but we call him Denny." Hope leaned forward in her seat. "You have to know we didn't want to give you up. But because we had to, we did our best to find you the best parents and Elizabeth seemed like the perfect match. Did you have a good childhood?"

The stunned brunette nodded her head. "It was good at times, but she usually had too much on her plate to look after me." She shrugged. "I was raised by nannies." She let out the shakiest of breaths, letting Hotch pull her tighter against him. "But I understand that you had to," she nodded. "I get it."

Martin stood from his seat, walking across the living room carpet and kneeling before his daughter, his hand cupping her jittering knee. "You stay for dinner, alright? Our time will be well spent. I promise you that, Emily."


	8. Chapter 8

The chestnut eyed Unit Chief slowly wiped a stray tear that fell down his best friend's cheek, leaving behind a trail to mar the ivory complexion she held. "Don't cry, Emily." He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead, hugging her body to his as she slept almost peacefully in his arms of the cab they were driving back to the hotel in.

Their dinner with the Montgomery's had been awfully cheerful, Martin breaking out all of his best jokes to get his little girl to laugh, and Hope showing her the her most prized possession.

A photograph of a five year old Alden holding a newly born Emily, kissing her forehead before they had to give her away.

Off to Ambassador Prentiss and the nannies.

Hope had been nice enough to give her daughter one of the copies she had, and the brunette had immediately put it in her wallet, making sure it stayed safe.

Emily hadn't wanted to go home. After leaving Hotch with her father and having a long conversation with the older woman, Emily had found herself crying in Hope's arms on the couch of the living room.

Why? She hadn't told him.

Hotch looked down when he felt his friend wiggle in his arms, giving a small smile to the newly awake brunette that lay on his chest. "Hey there sleepy girl."

The brown eyed woman gave a tired yawn before squinting up to the older man. "Hi," she whispered. Emily found herself snuggling closer to her friend, smiling gently as his arms wrapped tighter around her midsection. "You know what she told me?"

"Who, Em?"

Emily bit back a smile. "My mother."

The older man shook his head. "I have no idea what she told you," she said into her midnight hair. "Wanna tell me?"

Emily slowly nodded, sliding her hands along her friend's strong arms before she interlaced her fingers together with his. "Arianna."

Hotch's brow furrowed. "Is this some joke I'm supposed to get?"

Her sleepy laugh echoed around the interior of the cab as she shook her head. "When I was born, that was my name. She wanted to name me Arianna Nicole Montgomery when I was born, but part of the deal with Elizabeth was that she was allowed to name me because I would legally be hers." She looked out the cab's back window and out to the dark night, the stars growing farther and farther away as they made their way back into the city of London. "I could have been someone completely different."

"How do you think you would have turned out?"

Emily gave a small shrug. "Well I definitely would have a different accent." She let out a snort. "My dad said I sound just as yankee as any other American he's met."

Hotch grinned against his friend's hair. "Well we definitely are seeing them again before we leave. Sound good?"

Emily slowly turned her head to press a kiss to the older man's stubbled chin, loving the warmth his arms were giving her. "Sounds great."


	9. Chapter 9

The brunette huffed as she fiddled with her frizzing curls, doing her best to tame them with the time she knew she had left before she and Hotch made their way out. The newly reunited family had spent three entire days together, Hope and Martin taking the younger pair out sight-seeing, having dinners and taking walks along the Thames river to talk.

Emily had loved every minute of it.

And knowing that her visit would soon be coming to an end, the BAU agent wanted to get in all the minutes she could with her parents.

Giving an annoyed roll of the eyes, Emily quickly reached for her hair cream and took a dab, quickly spreading it throughout her black tendrils to get the fly aways to stay down.

"Em?"

The brunette didn't even look away from the sparkling bathroom mirror. "I'm almost ready, Hotch."

Hotch came walking into the suite's master bathroom adjusting his cuff link, his brows furrowing as he did his best to rid the small wrinkles he found. "You said that ten minutes ago, Emily."

Emily glared at the older man's reflection, her fingers running through her glossy hair. "Well this time I mean it." Her eyes roamed down his figure, taking in his clean suit and his straightened tie, and her gaze immediately went back to her body. "Do you think I'm dressed up enough?"

The older man smiled once he looked up from his wrist. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Emily bit her lip as her friend came up behind her and kissed her newly powdered cheek. "Are you sure?" All she wore was a simple pencil skirt and a see-through pink blouse with a cami underneath, her favorite black heels on her feet. "I don't look as dressed up."

"Em, all we're doing is going out for dinner."

The younger brunette quickly nodded her head, ignoring the beautied feeling of her friend's strong hands cupping her hips. She could feel his heat through the material of her skirt, and she was lucky his hands were nowhere near her pelvis. Hotch feeling her getting wet? WHILE talking about her parents? Not a great idea.

Creepy. Creepy idea.

"Hotch we're going to meet my brother. This is not a day to 'just have dinner'." She shook her head. "This is really important," she grinned. "It's special."

The Unit Chief smiled at the beautiful woman in the mirror. "You know what's also important? Being on time."

Emily let out a laugh as the older man shook her gently, and she turned in his arms, pressing her hands to the lapels of his jacket. "Alright I get it." She looked up to him with her dark doe eyes. "The faster you get out of the bathroom, the faster I'll finish getting ready," she smiled.

Hotch's jaw dropped. "What more do you need to do?"

"Reapply my eyeliner."

The older man squinted, doing his best to look for the makeup. "You're wearing eyeliner?"

Emily groaned. "Exactly! I need to reapply!"

Hotch shook his head before leaving the bathroom, sitting himself on his friend's bed. "Ten minutes?"

The brunette grinned, closing the bathroom door. "Ten minutes." She ran over to the sink and opened up her makeup bag, rummaging through her foundation, concealer and blush to find her dark purple vibrator. She needed to fix herself before she lost it.

Hotch looked up from his coarse hands at the sound of a phone ringing. "Em that's yours. Want me to get it?"

"Yes please!"

The father of one stood from his seat and made his way into the living room, opening up his friend's black purse and taking out her phone. "Emily's phone."

"Agent Aaron Hotchner?" The voice at the other end of the phone gave a strong chuckle. "Is that really you?"

Hotch smiled against the phone. "Ambassador Prentiss, hello. How are you?"

"Oh I'm just fine Aaron, thank you. What are you doing answering Emily's phone? Is everything alright?"

"She's just in the bathroom."

Elizabeth Prentiss bit her lip to keep a smile from forming on her face. She knew that those two would get together. "Oh is she? Are you two at her house?" She set a hand over her heart. "Have you seen her house, Aaron? I just love her new house; so warm and cozy."

Hotch nodded, sitting himself down on the couch in the living room part of their suite. "I have been there, but we're not there right now. We're actually in London."

There was a small pause at the other end. "London? As in England?"

Hotch heard a hitch in the older woman's voice. "London, England. Yes ma'am."

"Oh she's visiting them, isn't she?" Elizabeth smiled against her cell phone. "I knew she'd go and visit them. They're just lovely people."

The brunette man smiled softly against the phone, hearing the smile in his friend's mother's voice. "They're amazing." He nodded. "I can see why they picked you."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Thank you Aaron." She quickly shook her head and sat straighter in her hospital bed, waving away the nurse that tried to get her attention. "Alright so I won't keep you two, I just wanted to let Emily know something."

"I can get a message to her."

The older woman grinned, feeling uncharacteristic tears well in her eyes. "Alright, you can tell her." She took in a deep breath. "You can tell her I beat my cancer."

Hotch felt his heart warm at the pride he heard in his friend's mother's voice, and he gently nodded his head, sending a small thank you to God for her cure. "I will." He smiled at the small hitch at the other end. "Congratulations Elizabeth."

Emily came walking out of the bathroom with a glowing smile gracing her face. "Hey. You ready to go?"

The older man stood, sticking the phone back into the brunette's purse before handing it over to her. "Ready," he smiled.

The couple quickly made their way down to the lobby of The Waldorf Hilton hotel and straight into the Homage Grand Salon, immediately finding Emily's family at one of the center tables.

Emily sighed as she set down her bag, letting her father take her into a hug. "I am so sorry we're late, Aaron got caught in his zipper."

Hotch glared at the younger brunette, hearing a small laugh come from his friend's mother. "That is not true and not funny."

Hope sat herself back down after giving her daughter a peck on the cheek, smiling to the couple. "That's alright sweetheart, we just got here ourselves." She grinned to the man who stood from his seat, pressing a loving kiss to his hand. "Emily, this is Alden."

The brunette woman felt a cheerful smile spread over her face as she looked at her brother for the first time in her life, taking in his hair, just as ebony as hers, and his handsome smile. She quickly stuck out a hand. "I'm Emily." She grinned when he took a step closer and held her hand in his. "It's so great to finally meet you."

Alden smiled before he took his sister into a hug. "Mom told me you were beautiful." He pulled back, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's brilliant to meet you, Emily."

The siblings immediately sat side by side, taking up a conversation about Emily's childhood in the states compared to his in the UK.

Hotch set a comforting hand to his friend's thigh before leaning over the table and nodding to the white haired man who was taking a sip of his champagne. "I wasn't really caught in my zipper."

Martin let out a small laugh. "Didn't believe it for a second, son."


	10. Chapter 10

Emily bit her lip as she stared out the window beside her, looking into the dark night as they flew above the clouds. She and her best friend were on their way back home, flying from LHR Airport over to JFK in New York, giving them a good amount of time for a small road trip back home.

The Montgomery family had exceeded the brunette woman's expectations, passing with flying colors. How could two adults, who had known her for only a couple of days, make her so exceptionally happy?

It was like a miracle.

Emily quickly looked up at a small touch she felt on her bare arm, smiling gently to the older man who sat at her side. "Hey."

"Everything ok?" Hotch ran his hand down the brunette woman's arm. "You've been as quiet as a mouse for the entire first half of the flight."

Emily nodded her head, sitting straighter in her seat. "I'm ok."

The older man smiled softly at his friend. "Do you want me to get you something to drink? We might not be in first class but I sure know how to get my way around a free drink."

The ivory brunette let out a laugh, hearing the small chuckle escape the Unit Chief's mouth. "Oh really? And how's that?" She smirked up at him. "Gonna get a little flirty with the stuartess'?" She set her chin on her fist, smiling her sexiest smile. "Tell me your secrets, Agent Hotchner."

Hotch's eyes immediately met with his friend's beautiful midnight orbs, watching as her eyes shined that marvelous shine that only they could. "You want to know my secrets?"

"Oh yes," she purred. "I would love to know."

This was it, she thought. The moment that their friendship could easily turn into something more. She knew it would happen, and she was definitely scared.

Hotch leaned in, stopping only centimeters away from the younger woman's porcelain face, and gave a grin. "Now remember here, I haven't gotten my flirt on in a while." He watched with delight as the brunette let out a bark of a laugh. "What I will soon expose you to is completely old-fashioned."

Emily gave a shake of the head. "All the more reason I want to know." She shrugged. "You're an old-fashioned guy, Hotch. Very gentlemanly."

The older man looked into his friend's midnight eyes. "Why don't you tell me what you think I'd do?"

Emily smiled. "What I think you would do to get a girl's attention?"

"I'd love to know your opinion."

The ebony haired woman gave a grin, letting her eyes gaze dreamily into the older brunette's light eyes. "Ok." She gave the subject a quick thought before she bit down into her bottom lip, feeling his hot breath sweep across her skin. "Well you certainly aren't the kind of guy to just go up and kiss a girl, so you'd first make introductions."

Hotch leaned back. "Like this?" Sticking out a hand, he smiled a gracious smile. "Hello, my name is Aaron Hotchner. I'm sorry for being so abrupt, but I noticed you from across the room and I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you are."

Emily felt herself blush at the words as she grasped his hand. "Hi Aaron, I'm Emily Prentiss. Thank you so much for the compliments, they were very sweet." She gave a small wink. "You're pretty handsome yourself." She let go of his hand and sat back in her seat. "Well, then you would probably offer to buy the woman a drink."

The older man nodded, holding his hand up to stop the stuartess that was passing by. "Hello there, may I have a coke please?" He waited patiently as the woman got the drink ready and he gave a thankful smile before handing it over to his friend. "Here you go, miss."

Emily grinned. "Thank you very much." After taking a small sip of her favorite soda she set the cup down on the small tray before her, and she looked back to the older man. "After getting her a drink and having some small talk at the bar, you'd take her out on the dance floor and pull her gently against you, having her practically melting in your arms as you danced the night away."

Hotch smiled to the younger woman before standing from his seat and handing his phone to the man who sat behind him. "Hi sir I'm so sorry to trouble you, but could you please play the first song I have on my phone right there?" After helping his friend stand from her seat, he leaned down to the older man. "It's our anniversary," he whispered.

The white haired man gave a smile before pressing the play button for the young couple.

Emily felt herself smile gently as her best friend pulled her close to him, blushing as he took her hand and slowly began to dance with her, feeling the eyes of the other passengers on the plane begin to look their way. She set her cheek to his, letting his free hand lay on the small of her back as the music played. "You're a good dancer."

Hotch pressed his lips to the younger woman's temple. "Why thank you," he replied. "You're not so bad yourself, Em." He let himself lean back slightly to look down to his friend. "What do you think I would do next?"

The ivory woman felt her breath quicken as he leaned his face just a little closer to hers, and she glanced quickly up into his eyes as his hand tightened around hers. "I think you'd kiss her."

Hotch smiled gently, stopping their slow turns to hold her close. "I think I would too."

The white haired man looked to his wife, smiling at the sound of clapping around the plane for the kissing couple. "You remember when we were like that, honey?"

The older woman grinned, glancing to the brunette pair that continued to kiss in the middle of the aisle, their arms wrapped around each other as tight as they could get them. "I definitely do."


	11. Chapter 11

Opac clouds began rolling over the freshly snowed on landscape, Emily and Hotch found themselves bundling themselves up in the foyer of the Unit Chief's home, getting ready for a snowball fight dreaded by the two adults.

Emily smiled to the young boy before her as she bent down to his level, wrapping his favorite Batman scarf around his neck and mouth, layering it as best she could without suffocating her boyfriend's son. "How's that, buddy? Nice and warm?"

The blond boy wiggled around. "It's tight, Emmy!"

Emily let out a laugh as she watched the five-year old do his best to move his arms around in his fluffy winter coat. "Well better safe than sorry, Jack."

"Why would I be sorry, Emmy?"

The brunette shrugged, letting the young boy try to get her cap on without messy up her curling hair. "Wouldn't you be a little sorry if you went outside without all of your winter clothes, your coat and hat and gloves, and ended up getting frost bite?"

Jack frowned. "What's frostbite?"

Hotch zipped up his winter coat. "Frostbite is when your skin turns all black from getting too cold, Jack. Your skin dies and then you have to get surgery to fix it."

The five-year old's brown eyes widened. "Emmy?"

Emily quickly shook her head, bringing the young boy closer to her and giving a loving smile. "And none of that scary stuff will happen if you wear all of your winter clothes."

Jack nodded. "Ok." He looked up to his father with pleading eyes. "Daddy are we ready yet? I wanna throw snowballs!"

Hotch shared an amused look with his girlfriend once his son began to jump up and down in his spot before him. "We're almost ready, buddy."

The brunette woman's ears perked up at a knock on the front door, standing as her boyfriend rounded her and walked back into his living room. "Honey are you expecting anybody?"

"Not that I know of."

Emily frowned as she walked to the front door, fixing the blood-red scarf around her neck. "Hello? Who is it?"

There was a chuckle from the other side of the door. "Guess, my little princess."

Emily's dark eyes widened. Her fingers quickly went to work at unlatching the chain on the door and flicking the deadbolt, throwing open her boyfriend's front door. "Daddy!"

Martin Montgomery gave a warm laugh as his daughter jumped into his arms. "Hi there my Emmy girl." He pressed a kiss to her covered head. "It's so great to see you, honey."

The brunette grinned as she pulled away from her father, letting her mother take her up in a big bear hug. "What are you two doing here?"

Hope smiled lovingly at the younger woman. "We came on a whim, Emily." She pulled back. "And we have a surprise."

Emily's brow furrowed. "You brought me something?"

The white-haired man shrugged. "Kind of." He and his wife stepped apart, allowing the older woman who stood behind them to step forward.

Emily felt her jaw drop at the sight of the older woman who stood before her, taking in her glowing skin and her freshly trimmed ebony hair. "Mother!" She brought the fifty-six year old into a tight hug, smiling into her slender neck. "I thought you were over in California."

The Ambassador grinned. "Trip ended early, darling."

Jack stepped forward and held tight onto his favorite brunette woman's leg. "Emmy who are these people?"

Emily bent down to the young boy's level, pointing up to the three older adults. "These are my parents, bud. That's my daddy Martin, and my two mommies Hope and Elizabeth."

The blond boy smiled to his father's girlfriend. "You have two mommies? AND a daddy?"

"I sure do, Jack-Jack."

Hotch came back out of his living room and smiled to the adults he saw there, taking each one into a hug. "You all made it on time."

Emily's eyes widened. "You knew?"

The Unit Chief let out a laugh, taking a small punch to the chest from his girlfriend. "I planned it."

"You're mean," she laughed.

Hotch shook his head, throwing an arm around the younger brunette's shoulders. "Don't think so." He looked to the adults on his front step. "Why don't you all come in and have some hot cocoa? We'll be back in just a few minutes."

Hope frowned. "Where are you going?"

Jack jumped up, running out of the house and into the snow piles in their front yard. "Snowball fight!"

The brunette woman smiled to the little boy who ran around before her, holding her boyfriend's hand as they ventured out into the cold. "Snowball fight."


End file.
